August 1914 Woodrow Wilson asked Americans to remain...

August 1914 Woodrow Wilson asked Americans to remain impartial to the war that broken out in Europe. In the beginning Wilson wanted to exemplify their democratic commitment to peace. Although the war challenged the neutrality of America. American farms and factories fed and armed both of Allied and Central Powers. America stayed neutral throughout the beginning even though Germany had sank a British passenger ship â€Å"Lusitania† in May 1915, which killed 1,201 people, including 128 Americans. However this did outrage many Americans and Wilson sent a strong worded warning. Wilson was reelected in 1916 on the platform of neutrality. Later in the year, trying to stick to his plan of the nation remaining neutral he tried to broker peace between†¦show more content†¦Given the risks, Wilson felt that they could no longer stand by and watch the continued German aggression. He believed that the nation had an obligation to step forward and fight for the principles upon which it had been founded. On April 4th the U.S. Senate voted in favor of war by 82 votes to 6. The House of Representatives delivered their own votes in favor of the war by 373 votes to 50. This formally entered the United States into the First World War. World War I was built up by many things; however the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, in Sarajevo June 1914 was what started the war. Austria-Hungarys reaction to the death of their heir was in the works for about three weeks. The Austro-Hungarians took this as an opportunity to exercise its authority upon the Serbians, wanting to crush any nationalist movement there. This was also an effort in cementing Austria-Hungarys influence in the Balkans. It did so by declaring an ultimatum to Serbia which, the extent of the demands was that the assassins be brought to justice. Sir Edward Grey, the British Secretary, commented that he had never before seen one State address to another independent State a document of so formidable a character. Austria-Hungary expected that Serbia would reject the terms of the ultimatum, thereby giving them a reason for launching a war against Serbia. However, Serbia had ties with Russia. WhileShow MoreRelatedOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesand Paul Buhle, eds., The New Left Revisited David M. Scobey, Empire City: The Making and Meaning of the New York City Landscape Gerda Lerner, Fireweed: A Political Autobiography Allida M. Black, ed., Modern American Queer History Eric Sandweiss, St. Louis: The Evolution of an American Urban Landscape Sam Wineburg, Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts: Charting the Future of Teaching the Past Sharon Hartman Strom, Political Woman: Florence Luscomb and the Legacy of Radical Reform